French Custard Ice Cream Base

Combine milk, cream and half of the sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat until just starting to steam and bubble around the edges. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula. Remove from heat.

In a metal bowl, whisk egg yolks with remaining half cup of sugar until pale yellow and increased in volume.

Slowly pour the hot cream/milk into the yolks while whisking. Once fully incorporated, pour the mixture back into the pan and place over medium-low heat. Cook while constantly stirring and scraping the bottom with a rubber spatula. Once thickened, it should coat the back of a spoon or read about 170 degrees on a thermometer.

Strain into a container and immediately place into an ice bath to prevent further cooking. Once cooled, cover and let rest in refrigerator overnight.

Process in your ice cream freezer according to the manufacture’s instructions.

Valrhona Caraibe Chocolate Ice Cream

Mix the whole milk, the invert sugar and the powdered milk together. Heat to about 120F degrees. Add the granulated sugar and the chopped chocolate. Heat to about 175F degrees while stirring with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom. Remove from heat and strain into a container and cool down in an ice bath.

Once cooled, let rest in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Process in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

*Invert sugar is an ingredient used by pastry chefs to retain moisture in products and prevent crystallization. It is simply sucrose (table sugar) that is broken down by acid in it’s two components, fructose and glucose. It is readily available on Amazon.com. You can also find a variety DIY methods online which heat sugar with an acid, such as cream of tarter or lemon juice. Here is a reliable one.